The 10th Member of the Fellowship
by Wilwarin Bluemoon
Summary: A girl from our time ends up in ME 3 years before the start of the LotR. Her knowledge of the events to be played out will somehow help the Fellowship, but she doesn't know how her presence will aid in saving MiddleEarth.
1. Arriving

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are apart of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts. This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

I was always a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I had probably read all three books about a million times. It was a big part of my life, Tolkien's world, I was always dreaming about waking up in Middle-Earth. Well, one of those nights when I woke up in Middle-Earth, it wasn't a dream.

I awoke under a tree, an oak tree. It was beside a beautiful, clear, river. The air was strange; it was perfect, as if pollution had never affected it. I was scared. I didn't know why, or how, I was in a place other then my blue walled bedroom. Had I slept waked here? Was I kidnapped? The sleep walk idea didn't make sense since my house was no where to be seen. I must have been kidnapped.

I walked over to the river. It was very deep, yet I could see the bottom perfectly. I looked at my reflection, and then jumped back in surprise. I hadn't seen me, with my complicated hair cut and brown hair. It was blonde now and reached half way down my back. How could hair grow three inches in one night?

I looked at my reflection again, my entire face was different. Instead of looking sixteen, I looked like I was in my early twenties. My eyes had gone from dark green to a beautiful light grey and my features were much fairer and more elegant then they had been.

I looked at the rest of my body. I was wearing a long, forest green dress, with long sleeves and I also had light green slip-ons. I also seemed skinnier, and I had a nicer form, I even felt stronger.

My eyesight; I could see perfectly and I didn't even have my glasses. How could all of this be possible? Was I actually dreaming all this? I pinched myself hard on the arm, I wasn't dreaming. It was all real. But how?


	2. Realisation

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are a part of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts. This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

I started to walk. Why I walked upstream I don't know. It seemed like the right way to go, and it was.

I could see a horse, a white stallion. I looked past him and saw his rider. He was tall, with long gold hair like mine; he was also wearing green clothes. I walked up to him; he must have heard me coming because he turned around. He had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.

"Hi," I said, my voice also sounding different.

"Hello," he answered, looking confused by my greeting.

'Where am I?"

"Mirkwood"

I laughed. _He must be joking, how could I be in Mirkwood? It wasn't a real place, _I thought

"Why do you laugh?" he asked, even more confused.

"This has to be a joke. Am I on TV? A new reality show maybe?" I started laughing even harder.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, looking slightly frightened.

"What's your name?" Curious as to what the TV producers named the pretend elf. _It better be elven_, I thought, _or else this isn't a very good show_.

"I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood and I do not appreciate you mocking me," He answered sternly.

"Legolas?" _These people aren't very creative_, I thought. "OK _Legolas, _what year is it?"_ The answer 2005 will give him away_.

"3015, in the third age."

_Three years before the Lord of the Rings starts, why would they make it that year?_ I started to think some more about my situation. I looked at the blonde hair getting in my eyes. I had forgotten it couldn't be a TV show; they wouldn't be able to change my appearance this much. _It might actually be real_. I fainted.


	3. Gwilwileth

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are a part of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts.This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

I awoke in a large bed. The room was beautiful. There were paintings and gorgeous furniture everywhere. I had never been anywhere like it before.

"How are you feeling?" someone asked me. There was a girl sitting in the chair to the right of my bed. She had long gold hair, and green eyes. She looked young, about twelve years old, yet somehow I knew she had lived much longer.

"I think I'm OK. What happened? Who are you?" I asked, somewhat rudely.

She didn't seem to mind." My name is Gwilwileth, but you may call me Gwil, I am Legolas' younger sister. He brought you here, to my father's palace. He told us that he found you by the River Running, and you fainted."

"Gwilwileth, that's the Sindarin word for butterfly, my name means butterfly also." I said, mostly to myself. It was true, my name was Vanessa, which is Greek for butterfly, so I knew all the elven words for butterfly.

"Oh really, what is your name?" Gwil asked curiously.

Vanessa didn't sound elven enough, so I told my name was Wilwarin, which is Quenya for butterfly.

"That's a very beautiful name, Wilwarin," she smiled, happy to here our names had the same meaning.

"You may call me Wilwa if you like."

"Alright,' she smiled again, "Do you have a second name? Mine is Gil-Lotë, which is…"

"Star-Flower," I finished for her. _Second name? _I hadn't thought of that. I always liked Bluemoon with Wilwarin so I told her the elven word for Bluemoon, Niwarana.

That's when Legolas walked in.

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A/N: Sorry about the chapters being so small, I don't get much chance to get them on the computer. Short's better then nothing right? ;)


	4. Adjusting

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are a part of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts. This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

"How are you?"Legolas asked, still looking slightly frightened of me.

"I'm better," I told him, trying not to use any slang or words that would seem strange to them.

"She told me her name," Gwil said from beside me, "It's Wilwarin Niwarana, but she has asked us to call her Wilwa."

"Butterfly, like my sister's name," Legolas said, sitting down in the chair to the left of the bed, "and Bluemoon, that's very pretty."

"Thank-you," I said. I now knew I was really in Middle-Earth, so I asked him if I would be able to speak with Gandalf the Grey, hoping that he may be able to tell me how I got there.

Legolas told me I was in luck. Gandalf had arrived the night before, unexpected and uninvited, telling Thranduil that he was expecting someone to meet him there.

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A/N: Again sorry about how short it is, will update again soon.


	5. Gandalf

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are apart of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts. This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

I changed out of my night gown back into my green dress. Gwil then led me to the garden.

Gandalf was there, exactly how I had always imagined him. He was wearing grey robes and a blue wizard hat. He was also making colorful smoke rings.

"Hello Wilwarin, or should I say Vanessa?" he said once we were alone, "Don't look so surprised. I know who you are and where you are from."

"How?" was all I could say.

"Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien was the one who warned me of your arrival," he answered "You know many things Wilwa, of what is to come, and that could be useful."

"How did Galadriel know I was coming? Is she the one who brought me here? How can what I know e useful?" Were only some of the many questions I had.

"She foresaw it. Ilúvatar gave her dreams to tell her he was bringing you here. Your last question not even Galadriel knows the answer to." He said calmly, with a hint of disapointement accompanying his last remark. "Galadriel also said that in your world this is all a story."

I nodded. "Middle-Earth isn't real where I'm from, it's just a fairytale."

"Oh but Middle-Earth is very much real, and you will soon be a part of those fairytales. Eru told Galadriel, in dreams, that you were very important. So we will keep you safe, until your time comes. If our enemies were to know all that you know, all would be lost."

By this point I was getting very frightened. _I want to go home_, I thought to myself. _But by the sound of what Gandalf said, I might have to go with the fellowship in three years. But I'm not a warrior. How can any one expect me to survive?_


	6. 3 Years Later

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are apart of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts. This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

Three years later: September 1st 3018

For those three years, since I had that talk with Gandalf in Thranduil's garden, I trained. Legolas taught me how to use a bow, a sword and knives, I wasn't as good as I would have liked, but I was good enough to be able to protect myself.

One day, we received word, just as I expected, of a council that Lord Elrond was holding in Rivendell. The time had come. I was nervous, but ready. I could fight and speak fluently in Quenya and Sindarin. I had also perfected my elvish abilities, my eyesight and hearing were improved and I had more elegance when I walked. I was now a true elf.

The day we left for Rivendell I was fully equipped. I had a bow and a full quiver of arrows and a sword. I also carried numerous small knives, two were on my belt with my sword, one was strapped around my right ankle, and one around my left wrist. I also had one no one knew of, it was strapped to the back of my neck, the strap made to look like a fancy leather chocker necklace. All of my weapons also had my crest on them. A silver and blue butterfly spread out in front of a blue crescent moon.

It took almost two months for us to reach Rivendell. We arrived the night before the council, in time for the feast. I was very excited. I met many people I had read of in the books and many who hadn't been mentioned. But when I went to sleep that night I was scared of what would happen the next day.


	7. The Council

Author's note: Wilwarin and Gwilwileth are my characters, although their names are apart of Tolkien's language. Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts. This is my first story so please R&R.

* * *

I awoke the next morning still fairly nervous about what would happen that afternoon at the council. I was summoned to Lord Elrond's office early in the afternoon, right before the council was to begin.

It was a very large room, with a round ceiling and golden furniture; he was sitting in a large chair reading an old looking book.

"Please sit," he said motioning to another chair, similar to his, right beside him. "Gandalf has told me everything about you, or at least everything that he knows about you. We definitely want you at the council."

"Of course, I came knowing you would want me to attend." I answered him.

"Good," he said simply, and then after a pause continued, "there is one condition, you will be wearing a cloak and will be sitting a short distance away from the meeting, and you will also not say anything until we have decided what to do."

"May I ask why my presence is to be hidden?" I asked him.

"Your presence is not what we are hiding. We are hiding the fact that you are an unknown she-elf. There will be Dwarf Lords and Men who would not appreciate having a female present." Elrond answered quietly.

_That's ridiculous_, I thought, _if I'm going on this quest I should be able to speak my opinion_. I was about to tell Elrond that when a long bell rang. It was the bell signifying that the Council of Elrond was about to begin.

The walk to the meeting wasn't very long, it was almost right outside Elrond's office.

I did as Lord Elrond had instructed me. I wore a black cloak, the hood covering most of my face. I sat at the end a little way behind.

Everyone started to walk in, Men, Dwarves, and Elves (including Legolas). None of them made much notice of me, they gave a quick questioning glance and then took there seats. I could hear the faint rustle of leaves behind me, and looking around I say two small Hobbits crouching behind a bush.

The meeting went just as it had in the book, it was fascinating for me to watch, and I surprised that I didn't even have the slightest urge to speak up.

Once it was over I didn't feel as nervous, it had gone exactly as it was supposed to, Frodo volunteered to bring the ring and Elrond said he was going to decide on Frodo's companions. My presence hadn't changed anything. Then I thought,_ maybe my presence is what made it the way it was supposed to be?_


	8. 10th Member

Disclaimer: All characters are Tolkien's except for Wilwarin and Gwilwileth.

A/N: Italics are Wilwarin's thoughts, she's also the narrator.

* * *

As I walked back to my room I started to think. _Why was I here? How can I be a part of this?_ _Why wasn't I in the books? _All these questions were running through my head. _Would my presence change the outcome of the book, or was it me that gave it that outcome._ I decided I would have to talk to Gandalf about it, but not today, it was late and I was tiered.

The next morning Elrond came over to me at breakfast and told me those who were to come along. He also told me how persistent merry and pippin had been to come along. I laughed at this. _Just the way it's supposed to be._

For the next few days before we were supposed to set out I stayed fairly quiet. The rest of the Fellowship didn't know that I was coming along; Elrond still didn't think they would be very happy about it, especially the Dwarf.

On the day we were supposed to leave, Elrond came up to the Fellowship and said that someone else would be accompanying them.

'This is Wilwarin Niwarana; she will be the 10th member of the Fellowship." He told them very firmly.

'A she-elf? On a quest like this! This is madness!" Gimli shouted loudly, "Why in Eru's name would we need _her_ to come along! She probably can't even carry a sword."

This made me angry. I moved to take out my sword but Elrond stopped me. "There's no need for that." He said to me in the elven tongue. **(A/N: I'm not even going to try to use real elven, my quenyan grammar** **is terrible. I'll just underline when they're speaking elven)**

I took my hand off my sword and walked over to the pony. I started to pet it, trying to forget my annoyance of the Dwarf. _He's even_ _worse in real life_, I thought.

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A/N: Long time no see. Sorry bout how long it's been. I've had school and I spent a month away from home, plus I've been sick. So I haven't gotten the chance to write. Hopefully I'll be able to update more. I'll get longer chapters, I promise. ;)

Thanks to anyone who has stuck with this story. I won't let you down. :)

Wilwa


	9. Arriving to Moria

A/N: Wilwarin is mine, but the name is Tolkien's. All italics are her thoughts, she is the narrator.

* * *

The Fellowship set out as soon as everyone was prepared on that cold December morning. Since I was being eyed by most of them I decided to follow at the end of the line, walking briskly behind Bill the pony. Gimli and Boromir seemed the most annoyed by my presence, while Legolas and Gandalf didn't seem at all effected, since they had been aware of the fact that I'd be coming ahead of time. The hobbits just seemed in awe of me, they weren't accustomed to being in the presence of she-elves, so having one in their presence who was carrying so many weapons both amazed and frightened them. Aragorn was the hardest to figure out; _he hasn't looked me in the eye once since we left_.

Nothing very eventful occured until we reached Hollin, where the _crebain_ flew over us, spotted by Aragorn and Sam in the night. Then came the dangerous climb up Caradhras and during that night the decision to travel through the mines of Moria. Through all this I sat mostly silent, listening to the talk and decisions being made, and everything going as the book had done. _Why am I here if everything's just happening as the book told? I'm not saying a word, so my presence can't be making all this happen, I must be meant to change something._

Within days we arrived at the gates of Moria. _Gandalf can't remember the password so we get attacked by the Watcher, maybe this is what I need to stop_, I thought to myself as Gandalf tried various words and combinations with his staff, in every language he knew. I decided I would give him the password sooner then had happened in the book, but I waited a few more minutes to make it seem as though I was just as clueless as the others.

I stood and walked beside the frustrated Wizard. "Perhaps all you need to do is say the word Friend, maybe it is meant to be taken literally?" I suggested quietly before walking away and sitting down. Gandalf contemplated this idea before trying the word Friend in various languages, Dwarfish, Sindarin, and then Quenya. The doors opened loudly.

"Ah yes, how simple" he mumbled as he turned to me and gave me a knowing smile, aware that I had known the secret word since our arrival at the gates.

As we walked in I noticed Boromir drop the stone that he was very near to throwing in the dark water. If he had the Watcher would have been awakened and our passage out would have been blocked…._oops_, I thought as that idea struck me, _the whole reason the Fellowship had walked through the mines was because the passage had been blocked by the Watcher, now they may decide to turn and go another way_.

As I thought this, fearful of the great changes I may have just caused, the Fellowship started to walk. I thought perhaps that all would go well until Boromir spoke. "I don't think we could survive walking through this Gandalf, we have no guide and barely any light, it is to our deaths that we walk. We should turn and travel more towards Gondor, I know we will find safe refuge there."

Gandalf seemed to consider this and almost looked like he would agree until I spoke up.

"No! We must travel this route, it is our only way." I said this firmly and directly to Gandalf, knowing that he alone would take my request seriously. "Trust me Mithrandir, we must travel this way."

He thought for only a moment before continuing to walk ahead, then Boromir said very loudly, "You heed to the request of a she-elf who has barely said a word, over the future Steward of Gondor? Why does her word have so much more value over mine?"

"Boromir," Gandalf said firmly, "This is the reason Wilwarin is here, to help us choose the right path, I will heed to her requests and opinions before anyone else's, I trust her completely."

This made me smile fully at the old Wizard, but my smile fell when I saw not only the look of bewilderment on Boromir's face, but the look of shock and disappointment on Aragorn's. For the first time on the journey he looked me straight in the eye, and I could see deep envy, and even sorrow in his dark eyes. _He doesn't understand why Gandalf seems to trust me more then him, he has been the one to help Gandalf all this time_.

I turned and faced the floor as I followed silently behind the others, deep into the darkness of the mines. I wished that Gandalf would explain to Aragorn, so that I'd never have to see that look of pain and jealousy in the man's face again.

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A/N: So I was cleaning out old files on my computer and found this story! I had completely forgotten about it, and decided I'd keep going with it. My writing has gotten better over the last year or so, so I think you'll all enjoy it more from now on. I haven't been as much of a LotR fans lately so I'm hoping that this will get me back into it. But bare with me, I'm a little foggy on some of the details of the story, so if you notice any major mistakes just let me know in a review and I'll change it.

To answer one of the reviews, I won't be adding another Ringwraith, since they don't really come back until the Fellowship has separated I'm not too worried about the balancing issue. But thanks for the suggestion, I had never considered that.

I hope you enjoyed, and I'll be trying to add in chapters more frequently, and I'm trying my hardest to make them longer, I know I was being pretty cruel with those little ones, lol.

Thanks for reading! Wilwa


	10. In the Mines

A/N: Wilwarin is mine, though her name is of Tolkien's language. Italics are her thoughts, and she is also the narrator.

* * *

After several hours of walking we came to the dark arch with the three passage ways, the look of bewilderment fell upon Gandalf's face again, just as it had at the gate. He looked between the three passages and every member of the Fellowship, in turn, came to the realization that the Wizard had no idea where he was going. I sat down along with the others, still keeping a small distance and tried to decide whether I should try and help, to speed the process along. _Having us go up the right hand passage too early may get us into more trouble, but it may also save us from some trouble_.

I had realized a few hours before that I could not try and save Gandalf from the Balrog, since it was because of that that he became Gandalf the White, and that was an event that was of the utmost importance. _Though getting us out of the mines while still allowing for Gandalf to fall could make it slightly easier for us later on. What on earth am I supposed to do with this knowledge of the future?_

I decided not to interfere in this case, and I watched as Pippin dropped a stone down the well and listened to the tapping noises in the distance, and then I decided to get some sleep.

We were all woken by the old Wizard about six hours later, with the news that he remembered the right-hand passage being the right way to travel. The following night was spent in the Dwarrowdelf, which was far greater then I could have ever imagined, though I achieved very little sleep, since I knew what would happen the following day.

The next morning, as I had expected, the tomb of Balin was found and I knew that a battle was ahead for us, _my first time really fighting_. I felt both excited and very scared.

Gandalf read aloud from the book that was found there and then he decided we'd head back to the hall, then suddenly we all stopped at the sound of drums and a horn, I realized quickly that we were trapped, and slowly pulled out my bow before anyone else. Boromir ran to wedge the door shut, fear started to swell up inside me, and I saw this echoed on the face of the small Hobbits. As the foot of the giant troll came into view the small Ringbearer sprung forth with a loud cry of "The Shire" and struck the foot with his small blue blade. This show of bravery took away my fear of the large troll, _if Frodo can fight him then so can I_.

As arrows flew in and goblins and orcs came into view, Legolas and I stood side by side, shooting one arrow after the other, neither of us ever missing our targets, as the others fought along side us. I suddenly noticed that Frodo had been stabbed with a large spear, and I felt that I had failed until I remembered his hidden mithril armor, I continued to shoot my arrows as Gandalf instructed us to run down the near by staircase.

We continued to run until we arrived in view of the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm, running towards it I caught a glimpse of the dark, shadowy figure coming quickly behind us, and my fear quickly returned. I knew I had to let Gandalf fall but the thought of it made me sick to my stomach. I glanced quickly at Legolas and the soft smile he gave me took most of my anxiety away, we helped the hobbits across the bridge and turned on the other side to see Gandalf standing in the middle, facing the flaming beast.

Aragorn and Boromir ran towards the bridge, Aragorn proclaiming the name of Elendil and Boromir shouting proudly the name of his home land. Gandalf yelled bravely, several times, "You cannot pass!"

Suddenly, and very unexpectedly I noticed Frodo running also, very close behind them without their knowledge. _He's not supposed to do that_, I thought quickly before running after him. He had a slight lead so that once I caught up we were right on the edge, feet from the end of the bridge. "We must go back Frodo, there's nothing you can do for him" I cried, but Frodo tried to leave my grasp just as Gandalf broke the bridge right infront of the Balrog. The entire cavern shook and I felt myself falling towards the edge. I pushed Frodo out of the way, back towards the rest of the Fellowship. I was about to catch my balance inches from the edge when the large, fiery whip of the Balrog grabbed Gandalf by the ankles and pulled him down, as he too fell into the darkness.

I lost my concentration for merely a second which cause me to slip once more. I felt myself falling. Falling very fast into the darkness, my attempts at grabbing to the side of the pit were hopeless. _It's over_, I thought as I could hear "Wilwarin!" cried out above me.

* * *

A/N: Still trying to get better with longer chapters, but my time's limited today, I'll try to come up with the next one in the next few days. Hope you enjoyed it, despite the lack of dialogue, I know there will be a lot of it in the next few chapters, and this one didn't really need it.

Please review! I'd like to know how I'm doing!

Wilwa


	11. The Journey

A/N: Wilwa and Thalihil are mine. Wilwa is the narrator and italics are her thoughts.

* * *

I woke up what felt to be days later. It was dark everywhere and it felt like needles were stabbing into every part of my body. As my eyes adjusted I could see some source of light very far above me, the exact distance was hard to tell from the odd angle. I looked around and quickly realized I was lying on a small ledge, my left arm and my legs were hanging over the edge. I started to get up very slowly and felt a sharp pain shoot up from my left foot upto my knee, _it must be sprained_.

I stood there leaning up against the side of the pit, trying to stop everything from spinning around me. After several minutes I relaxed and my mind started to clear. I could hear faint noises above me but I couldn't tell what it was. Looking down all I saw was darkness. The only way out was to climb up the side. _This'll be interesting_, I thought as I found some jagged areas to start pulling myself up. When I put my left foot on a small indent I felt the sharp pain again and lost my grip, falling back down to the ledge and almost losing my balance. A human would have fallen, but my elfin coordination helped me to grab onto the side once again. The only way would be to avoid using my left foot.

I pulled myself up again and put my right foot into another indent. I quickly figured out where my hands could go so I pulled up until my foot found another spot to rest. Since I couldn't use my left foot to support me when I transferred my right foot it took a lot of strength in my arms. It would take quite a bit longer but it was the safest and least painful way to go.

This went on for what felt like days, but I knew it was only a matter of hours before I weekly pulled myself over the edge at the top of the pit. I sat in the continuing darkness and looked around, the broken Bridge of Khazad-Dûm only feet away. I stood up slowly and scanned the area quickly, there were no other sounds above my heavy breathing and fast heart beat. It took only seconds to catch my breath and calm myself before making my way to the stairs nearby, the way the rest of the Fellowship had traveled. The pain in my sprained ankle was worse but I had no other choice, I had to get out of the mines before any other orcs would return. I limped up the stairs and into a wide passage which I ran through as fast as I could.

I found myself in a great hall, with many high windows; through them I could see a bright crescent moon. When we had been at the bridge it had been in the mid morning, it looked to be late in the night, so I had been in the large pit for many hours. _The Fellowship will have arrived in Lothlorien by this hour_, I thought as I continued to walk. If all went well, and I rested only briefly, I could arrive there by late morning or early afternoon. I continued to run, soon stopping at the gates leading out of Moria. I looked outside wearily as I heard the sound of many orcs and possibly some goblins. It would be difficult to pass by them. _I'll probably find more along the way; no doubt they're following the others_.

The only thing I could do was to sneak quietly past them, as fast as I could, making no sound but hearing every little noise. I managed to arrive in Dimrill Dale within an hour, and within another I found myself looking into the Mirrormere, but I could not linger. After another two hours of painful running I found myself standing in a small level space where the stream flowed, I could find no trace of a fire but I remembered that they had rested here for a short time. I decided to rest here also.

I sat silently for almost an hour, fighting sleep, listening to the bubbling sounds of the stream flowing over the pebbles and gently massaging my now very swollen ankle, as the sun rose. I couldn't help but feel great sorrow for Gandalf, though I knew that he had survived, and would be returning more powerful then before, but just the sight of him falling into darkness was more upsetting then anything I had ever felt. _I have accomplished nothing by being here_, I started to miss my home. It hadn't been much of one; I was an only child with just my mother, since my father had left before I was born. She worked many jobs and we found ourselves moving constantly, I never had the chance to make real friends. But reading those books helped greatly. It brought me into another world, took me away from my broken home. Even though I had barely anything to return too I felt myself longing for it, wishing that this world had just stayed a story, I couldn't help but feel that I was not going to affect anything by being here. _The story ends happily anyway, why would I need to change anything?_ I decided that this was a question that only a few people could answer. The nearest one being Galadriel, who had known that I'd be coming. I stood up and began to walk again, the forest of Lothlorien coming into view after half an hour of careful running.

I heard a sound a little distance behind me and found a place to keep hidden, since I didn't have the darkness of the night to shield me any longer. I watched as a band of about half a dozen orcs walked quickly by, about 50 feet from where I was. I watched as they continued to head towards Lothlorien, but they were not taking the usual way, heading around more from the south. After nearly half an hour I continued to walk until I was sure no others were coming. I began to run once again as fast as I could, seeing the forest more clearly as the run continued to rise. _That was too close for comfort_.

Once a little over an hour had passed I found myself standing among the immense trees of the Golden Wood, its branches grey and its leaves gold in the early morning light. After another mile, my ankle feeling more painful then ever, I gasped at the sight of the river Nimrodel, more beautiful then I could have ever imagined, its dark waters rushing swiftly past me. I walked wearily towards it remembering that Legolas once told me how the beautiful stream was healing to the weary. I stepped into its banks lightly, feeling the cool water wash over my feet, some of the swelling leaving quickly as it washed over my wounded ankle. I waded across slowly, enjoying every wave of the healing water wash over me and arrived on the other side feeling as though I had just slept for hours, but it didn't last long. The weariness of the journey I had just taken rushed over me again. I would still require a few hours of sleep before I could feel fully rested.

After another short rest I remembered that the flets of the Lothlorien elves were just to the west of the path. I started to walk quietly and slowly towards them, trying to see into the golden leaves, looking for any movements. Suddenly I could see a thin rope ladder let down the trunk of a large mallorn, only 10 feet from where I was. I walked over quickly and decided to climb up. After a matter of minutes I found myself standing on a large flet, facing a handsome looking blonde elf. He eyed me carefully, seeming to know I was a friend yet still looking suspicious, while 5 other elves stood nearby, their loaded bows pointed at me.

"I am Wilwarin Niwarana, I am a part of the Fellowship that departed from Rivendell." I introduced myself quickly in the Sindarin tongue. "I had been separated from them, they all think that I had fallen into the darkness at Khazad-Dûm, but I somehow awoke on a ledge and was able to climb up."

The elf looked surprised at this, but also seemed impressed that a she-elf could manage to climb up such a great distance and arrive in the Golden Wood undetected.

"I am Thalihil, a guard of Lothlorien." He answered me in the Common Language, knowing that it was what I was accustomed to speaking. "You are correct in thinking that your companions had thought you had fallen. They arrived last night very tired and sorrowful. They rested here the night and left only a matter of hours ago. They told us they left Moria shortly after noon, yesterday. So you must not have been far behind them."

"I was at first, when I left Moria it was in the late night." I told them, seeing the surprise on their faces, since they could see I was wounded. "I traveled as quickly as I could, despite my wounded ankle, but I rested only twice and for very short periods of time, I did not want to be outside of the forest during daylight."

Thalihil nodded and helped me to sit, resting against a large branch of the massive tree. He seemed to be very impressed by how fast I had journeyed here, considering my condition. The other elves had let down their bows and were sitting down on the other side of the flet.

"I'll allow you to sleep for a few hours before I, and a few others, escort you to Caras Galadhon, the City of the Trees. There you will be reunited with your companions." Thalihil told me softly, as he left me.

I rested myself on the soft floor, without need of a place to lay my head and found myself in a deep sleep in a matter of seconds.

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A/N: Longest chapter so far, hope you enjoyed! I have a feeling they'll continue to get longer, I'm starting to get really into it again, lol.

Just wanted to ask if anyone knew of a way that I could delete a certain rude and unnecessary review I got. I'm not sure if it's possible but if anyone knows of a way I could get rid of it I'd appreciate it.

I'll try to update soon!


	12. Crushed

A/N: Wilwa, Thalihil, Erhil, Adulith and Novrant are my characters, everything else is Tolkien's. Wilwa is the narrator and italics are her thoughts.

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When I awoke the sun was much lower in the sky, I guessed it was a little after 5 in the afternoon. I looked around and saw Thalihil speaking in Sindarin to three other elves. They all looked similar, dressed in greens and golds to blend in with the tree tops, and they all had long smooth golden hair. They also all had a bow and quiver on their backs and a sword at their side. But Thalihil seemed to stand out, he had a much fairer face and his eyes were a very deep grey instead of blue like the others, and I could see two small knives attached to the side of his quiver of arrows.

When I stood and stretched quickly they noticed the sudden movement and all came closer, Thalihil leading them.

"You slept for six hours, it is now around 6 in the afternoon." He said softly. "We'll be leaving for Caras Galadhon very shortly."

He paused with a smile before turning to one of the elves beside him. He looked to be the same rank as Thalihil since their clothing was very alike; they also looked alike in appearance. "This is my brother, Erhil, he will be accompanying us, as well as Adulith and Novrant," he said, pointing to the other two elves, dressed in more green and less gold, standing slightly behind them.

I nodded slowly at each of these knew acquaintances as Thalihil introduced them. I turned and picked up my sword, my bow and my arrows, most of my daggers had stayed attached to me when I had slept. As I got ready I saw that Adulith and Novrant had descended down the rope ladder, and Erhil followed after a quick word with his brother.

I briskly walked over to the edge and let Thalihil help me down. We reached the bottom quickly and I followed behind him and his brother, as Adulith and Novrant followed close behind me. We reached the river quickly and I watched as Erhil skillfully tied a rope to the foot of a tree, attached the other end to an arrow and shot it across the river, hitting another tree close to the bottom. The rope was completely straight, parallel to the ground. He walked across briskly and made sure the rope was secure on the other side before I crossed after him. We all reached the other side quickly.

"My brother and Novrant will be returning to the flet, they were to just escort us this far, from here on it is only I and Adulith who will accompany you." Thalihil said as the two elves he mentioned crossed back over the rope, untying it and coiling it back up. We started to walk again.

We walked on for many hours until it was very late into the night. We stopped to rest, planning to only sleep for approximately five hours; we would continue to walk at dawn. Thalihil provided me with a blanket to lie on, as he and Adulith slept on the ground a small distance from me. Despite the fact that I had slept early in the morning I still felt very tired and managed to sleep soundly until Thalihil woke me as the sun rose.

We began to walk again and my ankle hurt once more, when I had awoken the afternoon before I had noticed that it had been gently wrapped, so our first journey was a little more comfortable, but the effect of the pressure was wearing off and I could feel the pain getting worse with each step. I was happy to see, around 1 o'clock, that we had arrived at Cerin Amroth and saw the two elves stop and prepare a small fire so we could have a quick lunch before continuing. It was about one o'clock in the afternoon.

"Wilwarin, we should be arriving at the city by early evening." Adulith told me, speaking his first words to me since we had met. After a short meal Thalihil noticed me staring up at the top of Cerin Amroth, he asked if I would like to have him accompany me to the top. It was a long climb, but as I stood at the top looking around me all thoughts of weariness left me, it was breathtaking.

I sat at the edge facing the direction of Mirkwood, its dark trees looking like a wall lining the distant horizon. Thalihil sat beside me, and I smiled to myself as I noticed the foot of distance he had left between us. _Elves are insanely polite_, I thought to myself. I began to just stare at the dark outline of Mirkwood, and I began to get the same homesick feeling I had had two nights before. Mirkwood had been my home for the three years after I arrived in Middle-Earth, and I began to miss it for the first time since we had left. I also felt a want to see Legolas; he had become a dear friend to me. Thalihil noticed my longing expression.

"Mirkwood is your home?" he asked me softly, almost as if he wasn't sure if he should have spoken.

"Yes, one of them." I replied simply before we fell into a long silence. After a few minutes of us just staring out at the horizon, deep in our own thoughts, Thalihil spoke.

"We should go. I'd like to arrive before dark, and I'm sure you are excited to see your friends." He stood beside me and reached out his hand to help me to stand. I grabbed hold and rose gracefully to stand directly in front of him. I found myself closer then expected and we looked into each other's eyes for only seconds before he stepped back and motioned in front of him for me to start walking. I walked two steps ahead of him and found myself flustered. _I just met him and will probably never see him again, not a good time to get a crush_, I thought to myself as we packed up and began to walk again. I tried to take my mind of him by thinking about seeing the rest of the Fellowship, wondering whether they had been told of my survival or if my presence was going to be a surprise.

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A/N: A little shorter, next one should be fairly long, with much more dialogue. Hope you enjoyed, please review! I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can!

I'm also just going to say this once, to refer to the flames I've received, then after that I won't mention them again. I don't mind constructive criticism, as long as it's said in a polite way. If you have a problem with my story you don't have to be rude about it, I really don't appreciate the language that's popping up on my reviews. This is just something for me to do to get me back into LotR, I'm not trying to claim that I'm God's gift to fanfiction, I know I'm not that awesome, it's all just for fun. So if you want to criticize me do it politely, and without profanity, and I'm much more likely to take it seriously and try and improve in that area. Thanks.


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